Thursday, August 26, 2010

Recently I wrote about coveting a vintage carry-on travel case and guess what?! I snagged one - woo hoo! I found this beauty (well, it was pretty filthy!) at the Helping Hands Thift Shop in Clermont for $9.

I brought it home, scrubbed the outside and gently washed and dried the inside then set about trying my hand at decoupage.

Using Mod Podge, a paint brush, clear spray varnish and bits and scraps of fabric and such I decoupaged a collage of retro-inspired images. I LOVE the results!

The front side:

The back side:

(My mother-in-law Lois gave me the beautiful, hand tatted butterfly)

(Close up of back side)

Yes, there are a few bumps (should've snipped the edges of the hankies) and creases (next time I must be more careful when applying the glue so I don't create little folds) but overall I really adore it and can hardly wait for my next trip so I can carry it.

I think this chair and ottoman are so cool! Found them on TrendHunter.com.
Thinking I may have to revisit the thrift store and snag a couple more suitcases. These clever upcyclers have inspired me to create new life for vintage luggage!There are just a couple of days left in August so please take a moment to scroll down to my August 5th post and enter to win my blog giveaway:

Celebrity Wedding Planner MINDY WEISS

My name is Cindy and I would really love to write that I live a glamorous, exotic and mysterious life, traveling the world and lounging on the beaches of Monte Carlo. In reality, I was a city-dwelling (DC and Atlanta) human resource executive for 25 years who gave that all up to become an independent artisan and farm hand.
I’ve officially joined the “country club,” that is, I’ve traded in my sleek convertible Thunderbird for a pickup truck, traffic snarls for unpaved roads, cocktail parties for working the pasture, and my gym membership for running screaming from snakes, bears, bobcats and wild boar! My old, daily routine of corporate hair, makeup and suits has been replaced with Crocs, Chapstick and bug spray and I spend my days creating treasures from my growing horde (obsession) of vintage textiles.
I will admit that occasionally, while cleaning the chicken coop (translation = mucking up the chicken poo), I nostalgically miss my pearls and heels, and wonder how I ended up here ~ then I think, pft!, my now rural, retro reality beats the rat race of my former urban life any day!